Hagley Oval in Christchurch witnessed one of the more unusual interruptions in four-day cricket when an elderly man on a mobility scooter rolled across the sight screen during the second unofficial Test between New Zealand A and India A. The scooter moved directly through the batter’s line of sight, forcing a halt before the delivery could be bowled.
New Zealand A right-arm medium pacer Brett Randell had already started his run-up when the scooter emerged behind the bowler’s arm. Randell aborted his delivery, and India A’s number nine batter, Akash Deep, waiting at the crease, signaled for play to stop. The elderly man appeared unaware that he had entered the field of play.
Action resumed only after the obstruction had cleared the area. Such delays are rare in cricket, where interruptions typically stem from weather, pitch inspections, or the occasional spectator running onto the outfield. A mobility scooter drifting across the sight screen is in a category of its own, and footage of the incident attracted widespread attention beyond the match.
The fixture, part of India A’s 2026-27 tour of New Zealand, was scheduled from October 31 to November 3 at Hagley Oval. New Zealand A won the toss and elected to field first.
Akash Deep made a meaningful contribution in that innings, scoring 68 off 116 balls with 10 fours and two sixes before departing, caught Foxcroft bowled Clarke. Dhruv Jurel, captaining India A and keeping wicket, top-scored with 105 off 171 balls in the same innings.
Randell concluded India A’s first innings with figures of 21 overs, five maidens, 66 runs, and two wickets at an economy of 3.14. He dismissed Yash Rathod for 13 and later removed Jurel for his century, both catches taken in the field. At the close of Day 1, before those dismissals were completed, Randell’s figures stood at 16 overs, four maidens, 43 runs, and one wicket at an economy of 2.69.